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I. C. CUNNINGHAM.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY3. 1919.

1,3 1 5,470. Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFEIoE.

JAMES o. CUNNINGHAM, or MOSOOWMILLS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOE, BY :DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To SAEE'IY EAIL SHOE @COOUPLING COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OE MISSOURI.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of MOSCOW Mills, county of Lincoln, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

'This invention relates to rail joints and has for its object a rail joint wherein the spike openings are staggered so as to prevent Splitting of ties when the joint is secured thereto.

A further object is to provide a rail joint with recesses on alternate Sides Sothat the bolt heads may be sunk therein and prevent the shearing ofi'. of Some` of the bolt heads and nuts when a car is derailed. j

A. further object is to provide a rail joint which encircles a rail on three sides, that is the entire flange and bothK Sides of the web, and is provided with a reinforced flange to support the ball of the rail, and columns for strengthening the flange and web, the alternate columns on each Side being provided with a recess for the reception of the head of the locking bolt, the portionfor supporting the base being provided with staggered bolt or spike openings and with staggered projections which will prevent the tie plate from creeping along the tie, and also prevent the splitting thereof.

Tn the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device in position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, viewing the same in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the construction of my device, I provide rails 6 and 7 their ends being placed adjacent to each other or abutting, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Encircling these rails on three sides, I place my improved tie plate S which consists of a bottom portion 9 and two vertical portions 10. On the bottom portion 9, the bases 11 of the rails 6 and 7 the line rest. The bottom portion 9 is provided with extending ears 12, these ears being provided with recesses 13, the ears being so staggered RAIL-JOINT.

i Specification of l'ietters Patent. Patented Sept. 9j, 1919.`

Appiication mea May 3, 1919. serial No. 294,404.

as to prevent spikes driven j through the openings 13 from Splitting the tie, or in other words entering along the same line of grain in the tie.

The bottom portion 9 is further provided withprojections 14 which are also staggered and which tend to prevent the creeping Sidewise or Spreading of the rails 6 and 7. This base is formed with overlapping flanges 15 which are substantially parallel `to the base portion`9 and completely surround the base 11 of the rails 6 and 7. j

The Overlapping portions 15 are provided wlthvertically extended portions 16 which lit along the web of the rail and are formed integral with the portions 15. On the upper edge of the extended portions 16, I provide flanges 17 which flanges are adapted to support the under edge of the ball 18- formed on the rails Gand 7, the portion 15, however,

not conformingexactly to the base of the `wheels when passing over joined rails.

`Along the outer edge of the flange of the rail, the opening 2O will be left. This will allow for a longitudinal creeping of the rails, or in other words, for the expansion and contraction.

Along the vertical portions 16 and regularly spaced apart, I provide columns or lled in portions 21 which not only stiff'en the vertical portions of the rail joint, but also act as stieners for the web of the rail as well as to support the flanges 17 of the rail joint. These columns 21 are provided with recesses 22, the recesses being arranged on alternate columns Iand staggered on opposite sides of the rail joint, that is, the recesses being` in the left hand column of one side of the joint, would be on the right hand side in the next column, thus alternating from side to side of the rail joint.

My object in this is that in the event that a car becomes derailed, the wheels or rather the flanges of the wheels would shear only one half of the bolts Securing the rails together, the method of securing these bolts being fully illustrated in Figs. 1 Vand 5, wherein 23 represents the nut.

That portion of the rail joint supporting the ball `and web of the rail is practically the width of the ball of the rail, see Figs. 4 and15. This insuresainuch strongei1 joint than is possible with the ordinary iish plate, and at the saine time allows the flange of the wheel to pass freely thereover.

In the construction of my rail joint, that portion which supports the base of the rail, the vertically extending -portions which support the ball thereof, and that part overlapping the top face of the base together with the supporting columns is east of one piece of metal, forming` a unitary casting, thus obviating the use of a tie plate and two fish plates. f

Having fully described my invention what I claim is: j

l. A rail joint formed of a unitary easting and having la base for supporting the end of two adjacent rails, said base being provided with spike openings and projections to secure the same to atie and also with anextended portionto engage the edges' of the base flanges of a rail, substantially horizontal portions formed integral with the base and overlying the top surfaces of the base flanges of the rail and with vertically spaced apart portions adapted to fit th-e-opposite sides of the webs of the rails each of said vertical portions being provided with a flange along its top edge to conform with the yunder surface of the r-ail balls and answering as a brace therefor, and a series of vertical columns spaced-apart extending from the flange to the substantially horizon- Copies of this patent may be obtained for the bolt head vand 2iy tal portion overlying the top surfaces of the base, openings or recesses formed in alternate columns on each side of the vertical portions for receiving bolt heads, said columns and flanges 4acting as an additional strengthening for the ball and web of the rail at its joint.

2. A rail joint formed of a unitary casting and having a base for supporting the ends of two adjacent rails, said base being provided on its underneath surface with stag gered projections to engage the tie and with staggered recessed ears for securing the joint by means of spikes to the tie, said base being further provided with vertical portions adapted to engage the edges of the base ange of the rail and with substantially horizontal portions overlying the top surface of the base fianges, said horizontal portions pro-vided with spaced apart vertical portions adapted' to engage the opposite faces of the rail webs, said portions being Iprovided with horizontal flanges and shaped to conform with the underneath surface of the rail balls, and a series of columns extending from said flanges to the horizontal portions for strengthening said anges and the vertical portions of the rail joint which engage the rail webs, certain of said columns being provided with recesses for the reception of the heads of the bolt fastenings for the rail joint.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES C. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses MICHAEL BECK, Gus S. EcKs'rEiN.

Y ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

